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Blythe Dolls

March 2009

March 31, 2009

Plastic Target placemats that I had (and love) reversibly stuck to the oh so gray (read depressing) backsplash.

"Before" photo: You can see how grey the backsplash is (and how much stuff is on the counter.)

One of the goals of The Cure is to get rid of things you don't love or don't serve a purpose. I adore these placemats but when I use them at the dinner table, the kids actually drop food on them (the nerve.) So, I retired them to a drawer where they were taking up space. Now they serve a purpose and I still love them!

March 30, 2009

This was my weekend project. I had so much fun wallpapering it and I adore the result. I can't believe I get to wake up to this every single morning!

The "Before" when I tried to cover it in wrapping paper (disaster.) I can post a tutorial if anyone is interested. I'll also be posting the rest of the "cured" kitchen this week with before and after photos.

March 29, 2009

I just finished a very fun project in my kitchen. The only thing it has to do with these flowers is the designer. The only reason Husband agreed to it is because she's from Ireland, and as he termed it, "She must have some sense."

March 28, 2009

Part of Week 2 of the Home Cure is buying a water filter. In the book, MGR references Andrew Weil's comments on contaminants in drinking water which sort of made me nervous. I guess I'll have to get a boring ol' Brita but one day I'd love to have Japanese water filter from DWR. It's positively sculptural.

March 27, 2009

I stayed up last night until the pantry was finished. All that's left is to put labels on each bin and buy some spice holders for some bagged turmeric etc. The bins were 40% off at Joann Fabrics and I had the little Ikea tin containers on hand which are holding my "Foo Foo" teas as Husband calls them (being from Ireland he apparently drinks manly tea.) Sorry I can't get better photos but the pantry is tiny. Even so, it's amazing what turns up in a small space; look how many bottles of laundry detergent we had:

Hey, I have a great idea! Instead of actually organizing my pantry (as this week's Cure calls for), I'll sit here, make photo mosaics and forget the pantry. Yahoooo! Ok, ok, I'm going to get up now...SIGH. Is it possible to make a pantry pretty? Does such a thing exist?

Note: This pantry revamp is going to require Husband to acknowledge that he buys a lot of my favorite cereal at once. He always denies this or says that I go through six boxes per week. It's very sweet but it takes up an awful lot of space. When I took this picture I counted TWENTY-THREE boxes of cereal for a family of four. I think he he is a Cereal Offender, there is just no two ways about it.

You see? It's all recorded right here. Some support for me on this topic would be appreciated, and yes, I do recognize that he does the grocery shopping, but just a leeeeeeeetle less cereal, honey?

March 25, 2009

Today I had a case of the Mean Reds, but this little chair came to my rescue. There I was, innocently driving down the street, when it called out to me. I swear it said, "Hi Pink!" in a little squeaky voice. The windows were down since it was a beautiful day, and when a chair talks to me I pay attention. I'll have to spend some time tonight with Chair Fag to figure out how to refinish it (oh, and hide it from Husband who never understands why something 40 years old and peeling - hey wait, I'm almost forty - is better than a new chair from Pottery Barn.) But shhhhh...you and I know that this little chair and I were meant to find each other. Isn't she beeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful?

March 24, 2009

Using containers I already had I tried a little embroidery. I've never been a label maker but that's more from laziness than lack of desire. Below is a list of all the tasks we're trying to get done this week, although it's fine to pace yourself more like a snail than a hare. I'm going more for the snail because every time I sit down for five minutes, I hear MOMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! which, loosely translated means, "Woman, get me a snack in the next thirty seconds or I'll do it myself." Which he did.

If you are going by the book, here are our Week Two 'to do' lists (via -- Wig3000 at Flickr.)

Deep Treatment:
Fix one thing in your apartment yourself.
Clean your kitchen from top to bottom and thow away old food.
Buy a water filter and use it.
Run your hands over every wall in your apartment.
Clear space for an outbox.
Clear one surface and use the outbox.
Buy fresh flowers.
Determine your style.
Find a new recipe and cook one meal at home.
Choose the date of your housewarming.

One-Room Remedy:
Decide what activities you want in your room and where they will go.
Buy, borrow, or make a floor plan tool.
Map out the room that bothers you most and work out your solution.
Name your vision.
Build a Shopping List.

The house with this kitchen is for sale down the road from me. I swear I'm like a fish chasing the sparkly thing...hang some Marimekko fabric, give me shiny white subway tiles and I don't even need to see the master - SOLD. I could even put my pink Smeg (that I don't yet own) in here. I'd retile the island in white, though, and those floors would never stay clean (sigh.) Oh wait, I'm looking at houses on line that I can't buy instead of Curing my kitchen. Why does procrastination have to be so fun?

And in excellent One Trick Pony Style, I give you another pink Smeg. C'mon, admit it: You know you want one.

March 23, 2009

As you know, for the AT Cure I'm working a lot on my kids' room. I just finished this quilt for my daughter and am going to work on some pillow cases this week (if I can find the time with all the kitchen cleaning I'm supposed to be doing!). This was my first "big" sewing project and I completed it this last weekend. I used a flat sheet that we already had for the backing which definitely made the construction easier. I think it looks great with the newly done dresser and not too girly for my son, who sleeps on the pull out part of the trundle bed that a friend just gave to us.